That Time I Was Famous For 15 Minutes…

Photo courtesy of Melissa Lombard, even if I technically didn’t ask for it (Sorry Melissa!)

This is now more than a month old, but I wanted to share it anyways. Hey, if this was my 15 minutes, I want to make the most of it.

It’s difficult not to be flattered when someone asks to interview you. “Why me?” one asks. I guess, to an extent, I consider what I do mundane. Think about it, what is the reaction most people have to the words “Marketing Consultant”?

My interviewer, Melissa, seems to be ok with the term. She was one of the attendees at last year’s Blogathon, where I was invited to speak, hang out, and generally geek out over blogs and bloggers. Her 5 Year Project and blog struck me as one of those things that contribute to the community. One of those little things can have great impact.

And then, the unexpected: As I faced the questions –and the introspection that comes with them– and later read the article, a short bio really, it struck me that my experience as an entrepreneur can help others. Not just the nuts and bolts no one tells you, but the larger, often overlooked questions of goals, perseverance, strategy, and the pain, and often, loneliness of this chosen path.

Yet Another Chapter

This past year has been some kind of crazy. I’ve been designing, building, and working on a new business. Adjusting to the new challenges, and having to adjust quickly as the model gains traction, has pushed me to levels I never though I could manage.

If there’s ever been time in my life when everything I’ve learned, everything I can imagine, and everything I can do have come together it is now.

Now is the time in my life for a big win, and to give back.

I have no delusions of being able to write every week. My work routine will likely still be crazy for a while. But there is a world of lessons and resources I can share just in curated content. Entrepreneurship has forced me to optimize every single aspect of our operations, working habits, time management, and all the technology that we use. You’ll learn about that and then some.

When I write, expect this space to get a little, no a lot more personal. After all, one of the major things that strike me is how often it’s wantrepreneurs and small business owners hurting their business. I intend to address that, but I don’t intend to be gentle. This is a mission now, and it’s urgent, so I’m going to be brutally honest. If you’re easily offended, you probably will be.

The Bottom Line

My advice here will always be free. I can’t afford to meet with everyone that wants to “chat about business over coffee”, but will be happy to reply to comments, in the hope the lessons there stick around for others.

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Nando Journeyman

Hi, I’m Nando Cabán-Méndez, the “Commerce Whisperer”, an entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in business and design, and more than 10 years in digital marketing and eCommerce.
Here at AllyOne, I use my skills and experience to help online business owners grow their business with best-of-breed eCommerce solutions.
In this blog, I share eCommerce, websites, and general digital marketing lessons from my career.
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